Meet Norman

San Francisco Board of Education President Norman Yee has worked on behalf of San Franciscans for the past 35 years. He is running for District 7 Supervisor in November 2012 to continue building stronger communities and improving the City’s quality of life. Norman is a third-generation native San Franciscan and has lived in Westwood Park for over 25 years, where he and his wife Cathy raised their two daughters.

Norman has served in an executive management capacity for over 20 years. He knows how to make tough decisions to maintain fiscal solvency. As a school board member, he closed under-enrolled schools to balance the budget. As Executive Director of a large social service organization, Norman grew the non-profit enterprise into a multi-million dollar entity with hundreds of employees.

San Franciscans elected Norman to the Board of Education in 2004 and re-elected him in 2008 with the highest number of votes. During this time, he led the Superintendent search and brought a divided school board together. Under Norman’s leadership, the school district has a renewed commitment to serving all students. The district now has a new strategic plan, student achievement and public school enrollment have made positive gains, and San Francisco parents have better options to give their children a quality education.

Norman has spearheaded the creation of numerous civic organizations and initiatives, including the San Francisco Early Head Start Program, the Asian Parent Education Network, the San Francisco Child Care Providers Association, and the Chinatown Beacon Center. He currently serves on the board of directors of the San Francisco Child Care Providers Association and the Chinese Culture Foundation.

Norman grew up playing basketball and helping at his family-owned grocery store. He is a product of San Francisco public schools, received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in Education from San Francisco State University. He was an active parent, coaching his daughters’ sports teams and bringing language immersion programs to West Portal ES, Alice Fong Yu Alternative School, and Hoover MS. His daughters attended Lincoln HS and Lowell HS, and are both currently working in the education field. Norman enjoys traveling, Latin ballroom dance, and spending time with his family.